Advances in computer aided design (CAD) modeling have facilitated the employment of geometry pieces to represent solid models. Accordingly, full assemblies of CAD models may be designed and built as a number of geometry pieces within the CAD environment. These assemblies may be as simple as having a couple of components, such as a nut and bolt combination. More commonly, assemblies involve numerous components that are put together in various manners. For example, an entire vehicle may be designed and built within the CAD environment made up of an assembly of numerous components. The numerous components may be detailed as to include individual nuts and bolts. This ability to design and build complex assemblies in the CAD environment has improved the efficiency of design and manufacturing. Accordingly, issues that were not detectable until the components were actually manufactured and put together may now be detected because the parts may be “virtually” manufactured and put together. Furthermore, having the assemblies in the CAD environment has facilitated reduction of the need to produce numerous drawings to convey information regarding the assemblies and their components. Instead, information may now be conveyed on-screen through a CAD display showing the entire assembly or subassemblies of interest.
As the assemblies become more complex, providing on-screen information regarding these complex assemblies have become more difficult. For example, a designer may need to provide some information regarding a particular geometry piece making up a component in an assembly, where the information may be an identifier in the form of text. However, because the number of components may be numerous, placing information in proximity to the particular geometry piece may be impracticable (i.e., text may overlap each other and may obscure other geometry pieces). Additionally, placing information around the assembly may cause leader lines to cross each other, which may be confusing. Moreover, having information around the assembly without having leader lines pointing to particular geometry pieces may not convey the information that the designer is trying to convey (i.e., a viewer may not be able to distinguish which particular geometry piece has an association with which text).
Thus, an improved approach for generating and maintaining associations between identifiers and geometry pieces of a mechanical design is desired.